The High Representative/Vice-President is well aware of the circumstances raised by the Honourable Member, and has been following the issue of military trials of civilians in Bahrain very closely.

During the last EU-Bahrain informal working group on human rights in Brussels in April 2017, the EU raised concerns about the reinstatement of military courts to try civilians. The EU welcomed the acceptance by Bahrain of the recommendations in the report by the Independent Commission of Inquiry and, in its regular dialogue with the authorities, insists on the importance of their swift and comprehensive implementation. The EU stands ready to assist the Bahraini authorities in this regard.

The EU Delegation in Riyadh (which is also accredited to Bahrain), in close collaboration with EU Member States represented in Manama, has been following the trials of Sayed Alawi Sayed Husain Al-Alawi, Sayed Fadhel Abbas Hassan Radhi, Muhammed Abdulhassan Al-Mutaghwi and Muhammad Husain Al-Shehabi as well as the overall performance of human rights institutions in the country.

As part of its overall approach, which aims to be supportive of Bahrain's stability through reforms and genuine reconciliation, the EU will continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to meet all of its international human rights commitments, as well as to implement the recommendations of the National Institute for Human Rights and of the Universal Periodic Review.